Circle Oneshots
by TheSilverWarrior
Summary: Ok. This is what I plan to be a bunch of Circle of Magic oneshots.  1st up is The Taste of Lightening. R
1. The Taste of Lightning

Briar had smelled lightning. He had touched it and lived. He had seen lighting every day since he came to Winding Circle. It had always sparked in her flyaway copper hair, but now it is more controlled with her hair done up in her neat braids. She even had heat, wind, and the power of the earth now, all done up in those braids. But lightning had always fascinated him, terrified him. Lightning was bright, strong, quick, and beautiful. But it was also dangerous. It burned, blinded, and deafened with its whip cracks of thunder that it trailed along with it. It was sharp. In his eyes, Tris was the total embodiment of lightning. She was smart, strong, quick of mind, and beautiful in her own way. Tris was lightening.  
Tris left for four years to go to Lightsbridge. Sure, he saw her once every year, but each year seemed to get longer and longer. It hurt him to know that one of them was not there. She was even to far for them to mind speak. He felt like a flower with out rain, wilting. He needed the rain she brought. The storms that she contained within herself. The gentle mist of her eyes when they softened. The sharp lash of her temper, bright and flaring as the lighting he saw her as.

Finally, the day came when she returned. He was stunned by the change. She had lost a little bit of weight, though she was still slightly plump. She had also grown a bit as well, though she was still short. But the greatest change in her was in the way she held herself. No longer did she protect herself with a cloak of anger. She no longer needed it. She stood there in the doorway, and they could sense the change. Her power was tightly controlled and invisible, but they were just as aware of its strength as they would have been had she been shooting off full sized lightning bolts, if not more so. She stood in the doorway, just looking at them, not saying a word. Her eyes were mist gentle, yet stormy at the same time. It seemed as if she were waiting for them to make the first move. With a sudden scraping of chairs, the three of them ran to her and buried her in a group hug. They felt her tense, then relax, hugging back. Lightning sparkled in her hair from the strength of her joy, of their joy. Briar wanted to touch it, to feel the lightning again. But he didn't.  
After several months, things had gone back to normal. Tris had gone out with Glaki, now 14 years old. Daja was in her smithy. Sandry had gone to visit Lark. Everyone was either busy or out having fun. Except for Briar. He couldn't concentrate. The image of Tris' face that morning when she had greeted Glaki would not leave him. Her eyes had lost their storminess, leaving it all as morning mist. Her face had softened and her smile┘Mila, her smile! It made her entire face light up! ...And it was all for Glaki, her adoptive daughter. It made his heartache to know that it wasn't for him. That the dancing light in her eyes that reminded him of Sandry, yet was completely Tris, whenever she spoke of what she and Glaki did on their outings together was not for him. On that day, after months of denial, Briar finally admitted it to himself. Yes, he had smelled lightning. Yes, he had seen and felt it, and heard it. But that wasn't enough. He wanted to taste it too.

When Tris came home that night, the expression on her face jerked at his heart even more than her smile. Her face was blank, as if she were in shock. Her eyes were stormy and flashing, yet glistened with tears. Glaki was clinging to her hand, speaking softly to her. Tris shrugged her off and went upstairs to her room. Glaki recoiled, shock and pain written plainly on her face. This was one of the rare times Tris had ever shook off her comfort.

Tris did not come down for dinner. But when Glaki went to bed, Briar could hear Tris speaking softly to her. Then Glaki said something, causing her to laugh. Briar started. Sandry looked up. Daja cocked her head. Here was another change in Tris. Her laugh was gentle, the edges that were normally there softened. It was beautiful. Sandry, Daja, and Briar then continued with the cleaning up, only to come to a complete halt. There was a voice echoing down the hall, ethereal in its utterance. After a moment, they realized that the sound was that of Tris singing a lullaby to Glaki. Her voice had changed since the last time they had heard her sing, more than four years ago. Her voice was that of rain on thatch. It was the sound of the waves. The whispering of the wind through leaves. Soft as fog, sweet as a bird's, her voice rang throughout the house. Briar let out the breath he had been holding as the sound faded into silence. He was vaguely aware of the others doing the same. The last haunting echoes faded, and Briar found it hard to recall its sound. The three looked at each other in surprise. None of them new where Tris had learned to sing like that.

A storm woke Briar from his sleep. Thunder echoed through the house. Now wide awake, Briar went to check on the others, only to remember that Daja and Sandry and gone elsewhere for the night. Daja was at Frostpine's to aid him with a particularly vexing metal work. Sandry was once again at the Duke's citadel. He went to check on Glaki, only to find her still fast asleep. Tris was not in her room. Quietly, Briar stepped out into the garden. Sure enough, there was Tris glorifying in the storm. Drawn as if to the sun, Briar walked up beside her and put his arm around her shoulders.  
"What's wrong, Coppercurls?"

For a moment, Tris was silent. Then, her voice sad, she said, "I saw my mother in the market today. She didn't even recognize me. But she spoke to me. We got to talking about magic. Then about the people who we knew had been tested and found lacking by the mage-sniffers, despite the strange things that went on around them. She told me how her daughter _Trisana_," Tris said her full name as if it were some contagious disease, "had been tested, but was too worthless to contribute to the house of Chandler. How so many strange things had gone on around her that they had to get rid of her." Tris sniffed. "The phrase she used was, 'If such a possessed child does not have the gift of magic, or a very good potential for a rich marriage, well, then, we simply could not abide her living in our house. We gave her away, and we never want to get that ugly girl back.' Well, I don't want them back either." Tris wiped at her eyes, hair sparking gloomily.

"But it still hurt, didn't it." It was not a question. Briar turned her around and griped her shoulders, looking her straight in the eye. Her eyes were the weary gray of a dismal winter. "But you shouldn't listen to her, Coppercurls. You've got us for a family and you're beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Briar heard the words come out, but was not aware of forming the thought to say them. Tris looked at him, her eyes an unreadable emotion.

"You really think so?" Her voice was soft.

"Coppercurls, I know so." Briar grinned and gently wiped off a runaway tear with his thumb. Tris smiled. The smile lit up her face just like the smile she always had for Glaki did. Briar's grin faded as he looked intently at her. Then, without thinking, he kissed her, gently and deeply. He felt her sigh and relax, her arms going around him. She tasted like spring rain and Autumn fogs. She tasted like the sea wind and stormy nights. Finally, they drew away from each other. Tris' eyes were soft and sparkling with that light that always reminded him of Sandry, but was still Tris. She smiled her sun bright smile. Briar smiled back. Yes, he knew the smell, feel, look, and sound of lightening. But now he knew the taste of lightening, too.


	2. The Voice of the Earth

-1Tris had thought of him everyday when she was in Lightsbridge. His smell, his eyes, his smile, and his voice. He smelled of the ground underfoot. The earthquake in her reveled in his scent, so safe and familiar. His eyes were that of dewy leaves on a tree. Oh, how the wind in her loved his eyes, so comforting and calm. So different from her stormy ones, ones that flashed sharply like lightning when pressed or infuriated. His smile was, in a way, like a morning glory, always smiling at the sun. She wished she could be the sun. But instead she was the volcano and the lightning, burning such as him to a crisp. His voice caressed her ears, like the wind in the grass. Tris went to bed every night for four years and months afterwards where the last sound she'd hear was his voice. Her heart ached for him. But she contented herself with just his presence, if not his heart.

Then a day came when she saw her mother in the market. Her mother didn't recognize her, and so insulted her by speaking of "the damned possessed child" that she had given away and never wanted to see again, unknowing that she was doing just that. Thank the gods that Glaki was there. If Glaki hadn't grabbed her arm and led her back to the house, she didn't know what she would have done. As they neared the house, Tris felt her fury dwindle and change into something more painful. Anguish. Sorrow. Something more than that, maybe something less. All she knew is that it hurt.

Tris did not come downstairs to eat dinner. Instead, she stayed in her room and watched the sky. A storm was coming in. Watching the clouds normally eased her pain. But today… today all it did was increase it. It was because of her magic that her parents didn't want her, because they didn't know it was magic. It only hurt her more to know that they would have only wanted her for her magic if they had known she'd had it. Tears trickled down her face.

The rain started to fall.

Tris heard Glaki come upstairs and went to her. Although Glaki was older now, occasionally she lapsed back into the child she had been when Tris first found her. Tonight, Glaki wanted Tris to tuck her in to bed.

"But you're too old to have some one tuck you into bed," Tris told her gently.

"If it were anybody else, maybe. But I'm never to old for you to tuck me in. I love you." Glaki hugged Tris gently. Tris felt tears come to her eyes again, and she hastily wiped them away. When she saw Glaki's face, she laughed softly. Such a face a kitten couldn't match. Tris tucked her in.

"Tris, could you sing me a lullaby?" Glaki begged.

Tris opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it. She sat down at the edge of the bed, brushing Glaki's hair back with her hand.

"Alright."

Tris sang. The song she sang was from her heart, one that she did not know the language of, but knew that it spoke of love. An impossible love. An unbreakable love. A love so strong as to outshine the sun. A love that she yearned for, with all her aching heart. She poured her heart into her song, taking comfort in it. She didn't want it to end. It reminded her of Briar. Of his morning glory smile. Of his tree leaf eyes. Of his earthy scent. But most of all his voice.

But the song did end, leaving an aching whole in her chest. Glancing over at Glaki, she saw that she was mercifully asleep. Bowing her head, she allowed herself to cry.

Finally, Tris left Glaki's room to stand out in the rain, wanting to cool her burning mind of their burning thoughts of pain. She stood out there, listening to crash after crash of thunder, but not really hearing them. Suddenly, an arm draped itself around her shoulders. An achingly familiar voice spoke in her ear.

"What's wrong, Coppercurls?"

Tris didn't want to speak, but she felt so comfortable with him that she found herself telling him anyway. She spoke slowly, trying not to cry.

"…we gave her away, and we never want to get that ugly girl back.' Well, I don't want them back either," she finished. She wiped at her eyes.

"But it still hurt, didn't it." It was not a question. Briar turned her around and griped her shoulders, and looked her straight in the eye. She was taken aback by his strong gaze. She wanted to drown in it. "But you shouldn't listen to her, Coppercurls. You've got us for a family and you're beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"You really think so?" Tris was surprised by his words, yet pleased. They warmed her. His very voice was like a balm to her wounds.

"Coppercurls, I _know_ so." Briar grinned. She felt his thumb wipe away a tear that had fallen from her eye. Tris smiled. Oh, how much she loved his voice. She gazed deeply in his eyes.

Suddenly, his lips were on hers. Electricity sparked in her hair. Tris relaxed into the kiss, sighed, and wrapped her arms around him. He tasted like honey and cloves. She felt her heart melt.

After what felt like an eternity, yet wasn't long enough, they drew away from each other. Tris smiled. Briar smiled back with his morning glory smile.

"Well Coppercurls? Do you believe me?" Briar asked, his leafy eyes twinkling. Oh yes, she believed him. How could she not, when he spoke with the voice of the earth in her ears?


	3. A Vision of Gold

-1Daja sat in Frostpine's smithy, staring blankly at the flames dancing in the bellows before her, waiting for inspiration. Nothing. Nothing at all. Daja's mind kept drifting back to Rizu. Everything she did anymore, anything she saw, it always seemed to come back to her, to Rizu. A bracelet in the market. The glint of bronze in the firelight. The living metal on her palm. The very thought of forging, of creating, always--_always--_came back to memories of Rizu. Daja had cried more times this week than she had lifted a hammer in a single day. True, she told herself and everyone else that she was over her. But who could blame her, it being the week of her beloved's birthday. Just the thought that she was missing an important day in her former lover's life--the celebration of the day she was born, such a beautiful creature!--and she was missing it. It was probably not appropriate to send her a gift, but Daja did it anyway. She had created a beautiful living metal bracelet that resembled vines that fit adjusted to fit perfectly to Rizu's wrist no matter what she was doing, could never be taken off against her will. It was the only thing she had created this week. The _only_ thing.

And now Daja sat, waiting. What for, she didn't know. Perhaps she was just waiting for this week to be out. Perhaps for one of her foster siblings to call her to supper, fussing over her charred clothing, telling her to get cleaned up or else she wouldn't be fed at all. Just the thought of it almost brought a smile to Daja's heavy expression--almost, but not quite. Well, no matter what it was, all Daja knew is that there was a sense of expectancy about the air, as if the earth held its breath in fierce anticipation. She was content to wait, just gazing into the fire, slipping in and out of meditation, her former teacher long gone to Discipline.

It was an hour later that the tension broke, like fire from the brush, in the form of a soft voice.

"Master smith?" The voice was quiet but steady, confident and strong. Daja turned, the voice of copper ringing in her ears in an ode to the beauty standing before her now, unnoticed until it spoke.

Daja cleared her throat. "Yes?"

"I was told--rather rudely I might add--to come and give you a message," the mysterious woman's perturbed tone almost made Daja laugh, but she held it back. Why was she suddenly so happy?

"From who, and what is it?"

"A rather feisty red haired young woman. Called herself Tris, I believe." Daja nodded. Yes, Tris _would_ be the one to send a stranger to her, though why Tris didn't tell Daja herself what she wanted through their mind link, she couldn't begin to fathom. "Anyhow, Tris comes up to me in the middle of the market and tells me to come here and tell you that you'd better be on time for supper or else. An utterly befuddling woman, I must add." The woman crossed her arms, finished with her message and waiting for whatever was to come next.

"Thank you…"Daja trailed off, looking at the woman intently.

"Lily Meron."

"Thank you, Lily. I'm Daja Kisubo. Pleasure to be your acquaintance." Daja smiled, her first real smile in a week, and held out her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you too, Daja." Lily said, eyes laughing as she took Daja's hand and shook it. Iron joined in on copper's chorus.

Daja stared at her for what seemed to be an eternity then blushed slightly. "Would you like to join me for dinner? As an apology for my sister giving you orders, of course," Daja asked hastily. Lily nodded. Daja released her hand and walked out of the smithy. She stopped and called back as she realized that Lily hadn't followed her.

"Well, come about! If you thought Tris was bad earlier, then you definitely don't want to see her irked--and she will be if we're late." Daja couldn't help but grin as Lily rushed to catch up, a flurry of modest skirt and blouse.

They walked along in companionable silence for a while, comfortable in each other's presence though they were only just met. They had almost reached Daja's home when Lily spoke again.

"Is she always like that?" Lily asked. "Your sister, I mean," she said hurriedly at Daja's confused expression.

"Ah, yes. I guess I should apologize. I forget how sharp tongued Tris can be sometimes. My other sister, my brother, and I all have developed a kind of immunity towards it," Daja said, apologetically. "But in truth, Tris only _acts_ mean spirited. She's really quite kind hearted. But don't tell her I told you that! I'd never hear the end of it, and she'd get upset at me. An angry Tris is _not_ a fun one to be around." Daja said quickly. Lily laughed.

"So she just acts meanly so people don't know that she really is a nice person? That's kind of strange." Lily looked confused.

"Truthfully, Tris has good reason to act like she does. But I'll let her tell you that." Daja frowned, then spoke absently. "In fact, most things that Tris does has a good reason behind it."

"Really?"

"Yes. At least, that's what I _thought_. But I can't even begin to figure out what her reason for making you a messenger girl was. We have a much easier and quicker means of communicating, after all."

"You do?"

"Yes, we do. Quite interesting really, how it came about…"Daja stopped and sat on a bench and Lily sat next to her, watching her eagerly.

It was late into the evening when Daja finished talking. At first she had spoken of how the connection with her brother and sisters came about, but then she found herself going on from there, regaling Lily with tales of Shriek, Tris's bird, Little Bear, and other mishaps that the unique family had experienced. Lily had been a very good listener, and Daja felt herself drawn out by Lily's understanding and sympathetic words whenever Daja stopped speaking. Soon tears had wet Lily's shoulder as Daja told her about Rizu, Lily gently rubbing comforting circle on her back.

It was there that Tris found them, an hour after they had fallen silent. Instead of the expected reprimand and verbal lashing she had expected, Tris gently drew a weary Daja up, a rare softness to her grey eyes.

"I thought I'd find you here," was all she said. Daja just nodded, drained from the outpouring of emotions. Tris made sure that Daja could stand on her own and helped Lily up as well. "Come. Supper is growing cold. Sandry's worried sick about you, even Briar. You come too, Lily."

Daja trudged wearily after Tris as Lily walked by her side, occasionally putting a hand out to steady her. Daja welcomed her support as she would have likely fallen over. The lack of sleep from the last week had finally caught up with her. She was vaguely aware of being sat down to eat with Lily beside her and of Tris shooing their brother and sister out of the room before leaving herself.

"I'm sorry for dumping this all on you, Lily." Daja's voice was hoarse.

"It's alright. I feel honored that you trust me so much, on such short time of friendship." Lily's voice was soft, laced with something that Daja's tired mind could not quite place.

Nothing else was said until it was time for Lily to leave, and then it was only a quiet good-bye from them both. Tris showed Lily out, and Daja thought vaguely that she had heard her ask Lily--quite sincerely--to come again anytime. But she couldn't be sure.

Tris came back and helped Daja up and walked her to her room where Daja promptly fell on her bed. Tris gently removed her boots and stockings then tucked her in, surprisingly motherly.

"Do you like her?" Daja asked sleepily. There was no question of whom she was referring to.

"Yes, quite a bit. She's a good person." Tris's voice sounded far away.

"…good… I like her too…"

Daja heard Tris move to the doorway then turn around, her voice carrying softly and slightly sly to Daja's ears. "That's good. And I hear she's available, too."

Daja didn't have the strength to glare at her sister. Instead she just grumbled. "Stinkin' kaq _Matchmaker."_

Tris's soft and slightly wicked laugh was the last thing Daja heard before finally succumbing to sleep's embrace, and into the waiting arms of a sweet dream in which she and Lily danced.


End file.
